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Find a Guide

All of our guides are trained and qualified to guide throughout Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds. To contact a guide, phone them directly or click on the Email button below each guide profile and send them a messsage.

Mike James

Mike James' passion for the Cotswolds has been described by his former clients as one of his finest qualities. With a personal service for individuals or groups of any size, Mike can tailor a visit to suit you down to the ground, with anything from a 1-2 day visit to the Regency town of Cheltenham; or a spooky ghost walk of Prestbury (England's most haunted village!); or perhaps a tour of 3 days or more with visits to the pretty Cotswold towns and villages and further afield across the UK. Accommodating your pre-arranged route or building your personalised itinerary, he can accommodate a theme of your preference (e.g. arts, architecture, geology, history, nature, tv & movies etc.) or simply offer suggestions to help make your visit extra special. Spontaneous opportunities to see something unexpected are Mike's forte and he's always on the look out for chances to surprise and delight visitors!

Join Mike to visit scenes of major historical events such as Berkeley Castle to hear how King Edward II was imprisoned & tortured there, or Cheltenham to discover where the jet engine was invented; or filming locations such as Gloucester Cathedral ("Harry Potter"), Chastleton House ("Wolf Hall"), Chavenage ("Poldark"), Bath ("Sherlock", "Persuasion", "Les Miserables"), or the beautiful Slad Valley ("Cider with Rosie"). Whether you are passing through the region or staying for an extended visit, Mike James can help you plan for everything you need, with as much flexibility as you prefer, to make your visit to the Cotswolds an unforgettable experience with memories you'll treasure forever!

Robin Draper

Robin has been working in the heritage sector for about 8 years, and within this his favourite activity has always been sharing true stories (and addressing any legends and myths) about the historic places where he has worked, and the people linked with them. In that time he has worked at houses, abbeys and industrial sites, plus a roman town and a military museum. At present, he also works in Shropshire, Staffordshire and West Midlands.

He has real passion for our historic parish churches, and as a member (and a tour leader) of the Church Monuments Society, he has specialist knowledge of large funerary monuments, the people they commemorate, and the craftsmen attributed with their design and manufacture. Robin has been providing church tours for various groups for about 16 years.

Robin offers tours focused upon towns (either on foot or by coach), or historic buildings (with the option of up to 4 site visits linked by coach with the option of en-route commentary). Help with tour planning is also offered, and coach bookings and places to eat can be arranged and included if required.

Roger Bailey

Roger Bailey is a Heart of England Blue Badge Tourist Guide, who has been guiding since 1995 and covers the whole region with both guided walking and coach tours.

A daytrip will see your group explore what many consider the best part, featuring places including Stow on the Wold, Moreton in Marsh, Bourton on the Water (sometimes called 'The Venice of The Cotswolds'), Broadway - a genuine and often overlooked jewel in the area plus nearby Broadway Tower. Tours also include places not on the usual tourist map. Along the way enchanting stories will be heard, giving depth to the area, including links to famous people and a popular Sunday TV programme! Hear about the Romans, English Civil War, War of the Roses and much more.

Roger also offers tours of other places including Cirencester with heritage going back to the Romans, and Gloucester, which has so much to offer including its great cathedral. You can also explore the countryside with so many walking options in The Cotwolds. Guided tours of other places in the region, include the Forest of Dean, Oxford with Inspector Morse and Alice in Wonderland and nearby locations for Midsomer Murders. In addition, visit the birthplace of William Shakespeare and Stratford upon Avon. Roger also tour manages to Bath, Salisbury and Stonehenge.

Ian Newman

I am a South West Blue Badge guide. I grew up in the West Country and still have family ties to Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds. Following employment in the military and medicine, I am now involved full-time in tourism.

I am a 'driver-guide' and offer a number of itineraries within the Cotswolds as well as the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean.

I am equally happy to take guests walking, be it a gentle stroll or a more challenging hike. I am the managing director of Footpath Holidays, a walking tour operator which has been offering quality guided walking itineraries in the Cotswolds since 1983. As well as my Blue Badge qualification, I am a qualified mountain leader and first-aider.

Roberta Davis LL.B MA MITG

Roberta is a Heart of England Registered Blue Badge Guide and has a Masters Degree in Industrial Archaeology and Heritage Management (Ironbridge Institute). She is passionate about Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds. Her speciality is Industrial Archaeology; let her enlighten you about the area's industrial past and its people, and how the landscape and architecture has been influenced by its industrial past.

She has worked for Birmingham Museums Services within Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter and has in depth knowledge of the Cotswold's metal working Decorative Arts; why not let a Blue Badge Guide enlighten you to the areas's famous crafts?

She has a special interest in Gloucester; why not combine an enlightened tour of the Roman City of Gloucester with a guided tour of its fine Cathedral, and maybe a Pub lunch; or a Panoramic Tour of the Cotswolds visiting a Stately Home and then afternoon tea.

A Walking tour of the delightful Spa town of Cheltenham will take you back in time to the Georgian period and the 'Age of Elegance'.

Roberta has been told that she is enthusiastic and entertaining; she is passionate about Guiding.

Luke Scoging

Born and raised in the West Country, Luke Scoging has always had a passion for history, and has been lucky enough to make it into a career! A native of the stunning regency spa town of Bath, Luke has always held a particular interest in the Roman and prehistoric periods, but continues to be enthralled with the depth and complexity of fantastic interweaving stories that lie within the Cotswolds, and the South West at large.

This region is full of fascinating information, from the honey-coloured stones, rolling countryside and sleepy villages of the Cotswolds, to the nearby cities of Bath, Cheltenham and Cirencester (among many others), to the magnificent ancient monuments of Stonehenge and Avebury- there's so much to do and see!

Mary Moxham

Guiding since 1997, leading coach tours of Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds & walking tours of Cheltenham, Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Cirencester, Chipping Campden, Broadway and Burford, & country walks. Has undertaken promotional work for Gloucestershire Tourism, and has appeared on Central News "Out and About" featuring Cheltenham TIC scenic coach tours of the Cotswolds. Formerly a college lecturer, now enjoys communicating enthusiasm for our beautiful region. Windsor Castle Accredited Guide.

Anne Bartlett

Hello I'm Anne Bartlett, let me welcome you to the Cotswolds - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, much loved by people from around the world.

I have shown many holidaymakers around our stunningly beautiful countryside with its winding roads, hidden valleys and picturesque medieval villages. It's an area "frozen in time" a beautifully preserved piece of 'Olde England.' There is so much to see and do here, such as visiting ancient castles and churches, historic houses, medieval stone villages and picturesque parks and gardens. There's a wealth of history and heritage to discover.

I work with Tour Operators, Special Interest Groups, Clubs and Organisations. All my guided coach tours are carefully planned and tailored to suit the requirements and interests of each group. I want everyone to get the most from their time in the area.

If you are independent travellers without your own transport, I work with licenced car / minibus drivers and between us, we would be able to take you to interesting places that you might be unable to visit by yourselves.

There are more fascinating places to explore within easy reach of the Cotswolds such as Stratford-on-Avon, Warwick, Oxford and Blenheim Palace, the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, the Malvern Hills and Worcester, so let me help you get to know the area better and make your holiday or day trip one to remember.

Ingrid Lechner-Hare

"You only see what you know." Coming from a History of Art background, I became a Blue Badge
Guide in 2001 because I enjoy helping people to understand and absorb more fully the beauties
of the landscape and the sites of historical and architectural interest on each tour. I specialise
in guiding in various areas of the South West: throughout the beautiful Cotswolds, Cheltenham,
Gloucester, Bath, Bristol, Wells, Glastonbury, Cheddar and Salisbury, guiding both adults and
school groups as required.

As a native speaker of German, I have been living in the South West for over 20 years, and
take a particular pleasure in working with German groups, showing and explaining the many fascinating aspects of British life and culture, by guiding walks and coach tours, in cathedrals, great houses, country estates or museums. I enjoy working with people of all ages and am very happy to adapt tours to the specific needs and interests of the groups concerned.

Christel Stoecker-Danby

Living between Bristol and Bath since 1998, I immensely enjoy showing people around the beautiful South West England and sharing its gems and secrets. As a trained gardener and teacher I especially love its gardens, the idyllic Cotswolds countryside and villages, but also the cities and towns of Bath, Bristol, Cheltenham, Cirencester, Tewkesbury and Gloucester with their fascinating history.

Robert Collin

Robert grew up near Bristol and then spent 27 years working in London. Recently qualified in December 2014 as a Blue Badge Guide for the South West, he has an immense pride in the South West and its history. Based in Bristol and able to provide walking tours in Bristol, Bath, Wells, Glastonbury, Exeter, Cheltenham, Cirencester and other Cotswolds towns and panoramic coach tours in this area, he has particular interests in Brunel, the slave trade and its legacy and Stonehenge.

Helen Smith

With a background in History and experience in tourism, Helen can tailor your tour to particular interests and needs, to maximise the time you have here. As well as the Cotswolds, she works in Oxford, Stratford upon Avon, Worcester and Warwick, so tours can be arranged to combine any of these.

Tours may include coach panoramics, town or city walks, visits to sites such as historic houses, gardens, industrial heritage sites, cathedrals, churches, art galleries or film locations. Helen can help you plan your tour, arrange coach transport, suggest venues for lunch or tea and advise on routes and timings.

Cheryl Corcoran

Picturesque villages, glorious gardens, magnificent churches and stately homes are all to be found in the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire. The area is steeped in history, myth and legend, rich in literary and artistic associations. Whatever your interest, be it poets, painters or potters; royalty, rebels or Romans, Cheryl has a tour for you. Visit magnificent churches to learn about saints and sinners, bishops, builders and bodies as well as admire the fabric of these beautiful buildings. Tour the great landscaped gardens of the region and learn about their creators. In towns and villages learn about passionate affairs, imprisonment and murder most foul.

Cheryl organises tours for all age groups and all tours are individually tailored to meet your requirements. She can lead walking tours for individuals and groups of up to 25, or alternatively she can meet your coach for a panoramic tour. She can also organise transport for you and accompany the driver as your guide. This could be private car or a minibus for a maximum of 16 people. If you wish to travel further afield she also organises tours for Bath, Stonehenge, Avebury and throughout the Southwest.

Cheryl's tours are informative and entertaining making your visit one to remember.

Tabby Lucas

Tabby Lucas was born in Oxford and has family roots in the city, dating back over 100 years. For the past 20 years Tabby has lived with her family in a village on the edge of the Cotswolds.

Every place has its own story to tell. Tabby can share with you the rich history of the area including the lives of some of the eccentric characters who lived here, or the literary figures who were inspired by this special part of England. Tabby's background is in wildlife conservation and she specialises in guided walking tours taking in the nature and landscapes of the Cotswolds.

Tabby is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. Join her to discover the countryside, towns and villages of the Cotswolds. She can arrange coach tours or transport by private car, but she particularly recommends exploring on foot.

Tabby is also a specialist Green Badge Tourist Guide for the university city of Oxford. She could guide you around one of the 38 colleges or perhaps sleuth out filming locations for Morse, Lewis and Endeavour. Alternatively, why not take a magical family tour looking for where Harry Potter was filmed and places that inspired children’s books such as Alice in Wonderland or Philip Pullman’s Lyra books.

Andy Clark

Andy has a real understanding for all things South-West England and just loves Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds. Let him be your personal driver-guide or perhaps lead your coach / walking tour of this stunning area and various other locations: i.e. Bath, Bradford-on-Avon, Broadway, Burford, Bibury, Bourton, Cheltenham, Chipping Campden, Circencester, Gloucester, Northleach etc.

If you fancy getting off the beaten track, perhaps combine your tour with a country walk, as he is a very experienced hiking / walks leader and frequently takes clients across the Cotswold landscape.

Want to travel further into the South-West? Why not let Andy organise your tours into Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.Visit Andy's website.

Kay Thorpe

After a career in teaching Modern Languages, Kay found the ideal way to share her love of the glorious landscapes, historic towns and houses of the Cotswolds, as well as its beautiful gardens, in tour guiding. She finds great pleasure in introducing this fascinating region of honey-coloured stone and breathtaking views to visitors from home and abroad.

Graham Horn

Graham is qualified to guide in the South, South East and South West of England. He is based in the Thames Valley so is very handily placed to meet you for tours of the Cotswolds and further afield, such as Oxford, Windsor and the Chiltern Hills.

He is a qualified walks leader so can lead you on country walks/hikes as well as town and coach tours. Graham is a Geographer by training and an explorer by nature. Why not ask Graham to suggest some explorations for you?!

Jane Handoll

Jane has lived in the Heart of England for over 35 years and knows Gloucestershire, Herefordshire & Worcestershire well. She feels privileged to live in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is keen to share her passion for the landscape of the Cotswolds, the Wye Valley, the Forest of Dean and the Severn Vale with visitors to this beautiful part of England, which is steeped in history and boasts dozens of lovely mellow villages, small towns and magnificent churches, with Cheltenham, that most complete of Regency Spa Towns, at its centre.

Whether it's rural countryside and pretty villages that you want, or historic and elegant towns; whether you are interested in social, ecclesiastical or political history, or whether you simply want to know where to shop or to eat, Jane can introduce you to the area she loves.